Press-bed.



Pi G. LEETHEM.

PRESS BED.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1908.

Patented Mar. 23, '1909.

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- A TTOHNEYS FRANK c. LEETHEM, or MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK.

PRESS-BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

Application filed June 5, 1908. 1 Serial No. 436,864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. LEETHEM, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Middletown, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Press Bed, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to press beds such as used by printers.

The object of the invention is to producea press bed having a construction which will enable plates to be attached in any position thereupon, and having special means for bracing the frame of the press bed.

More specifically the press bed-may be described as comprising a frame having grooves cut in the upper face thereof. The opening of the frame is completely filled with square blocks, the faces whereof are channeled so that when placed in the bedthe entire face of the bed is covered with parallel channels extending completely across the bed. The channels in the blocks aline with the channels in the faces of the frame.'- The frame is provided with a transverse bar or brace which is transposable with the blocks, and this brace acts as a rigid support for the sides of the frame and preserves an accurate alinement of the grooves thereof with the grooves of the block. Further, by reason of the fact that this brace may be transposed, the retaining devices for the lates which run in the grooves may be applie at any point whatever on the face of the press bed. In this way plates may be secured to the press bedwith their edges at the normal position of the brace, and with their edges projecting over the side bars of the frame. I11 other words, by the arran 'ement which I adopt, printing plates may be secured anywhere upon the press bed, and they may be set over so that their edges lie nearly in alinement with the outer edges of the side bars of the frame.

The invention consists in theconstruction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan of a press bed and illustrates the manner in which printing plates are secured thereupon ;Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through one of the backing blocks taken on the diagonal thereof at right angles to the grooves referred to above; this view is upon an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 upon an enlarged scale, and illustrating the manner of connecting the brace to the side bars of the frame; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4- 4 of Fig. 1, upon an enlarged scale; Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the slugs which slide in the grooves or slots, and which back up the hooks which retain the printing plates in position; and Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the hooks which slide in the slots or grooves. j

Referring more particularly to theparts, 1 represents the frame, which is of rectangular form, with side bars 2, 2, and end bars 3, 3. One of the side bars 2, and both end bars are formed with under-cut grooves 4 on their inner faces, and in these grooves, locking sticks 5, or furniture, are received, as shown. These sides of the frame are provided with looking screws 6 which come up against the faces of the sticks so 'asto force them inwardly. Near their middle point, the side bars 2, 2, are provided with dovetail notches 7 which receive the dovetail ends of the cross bar or brace 8, which is disposed across the body of the press bed, as indicated; I provide three pairs of these notches, or more if desired. The two parts of the press bed which are divided from each other by the brace 8, are completely filled by blocks 9. These blocks are of square form, and are cut to the pica system so that they measure eight ems on the side; the form of one of these blocks is very clearly shown in Fig. 2. Its under side is formed with a chamber 10 so that the block is substantially hollow. The upper face of each block is rovided with a diagonal main groove 11, w ich extends across the center of the block, and similar small grooves 12 are formed in the corners of the block, which are in a line with the main groove. These grooves are undercut, as shown. From this arrangement it should be understood that when the blocks are arranged together, as shown, they will form continuous slots or channels 13 extending completely across the press bed. In addition to this the side bars 2, 2, and the end bars 3, 3, of the frameare provided with similar under-cut channels or slots 14, which aline with the slots 13 so that these slots are continuous across theface of the frame. On

gag'es an edgeof'theplate. p I is arranged so that it will 'b'eparallel with the account of the fact that the blocks com- I pletely fill the frame, the channels ofthei sidegbars ofthe'fram'e' orendbarsi Thehooks are held in' place by backing slugs 17 which ri'irfin thesl'ots behind than and are secured in the 'sloits 'byscrmvs 18 that ass downwardly th ough thefa'c'e'of the slngs, as indicated in'Fig'; .5; InFigi 1 I have illustrated a large plate 19' alfd it is proposed to secure theplate'to the press bed in the position shown, that is, with itsfupp'er edgelyingon thejsid'e bars of the frame, and one ofits lOngedges disposed over the brace 8. In tliis'com ectioirit should be'nnder stood; that thewidth of the bracebar 8 is the same asthe blocks, and'in order toena'ble the" plate to be secured iirthe position illus tr'ated, this brace is" imply removed from the frame and transposed to either. ofthe rows of blocks between another pair of the e dovetail notches 7. Thus tliebarc'onldbe moved toivard' the leftso as ,to' lie under the" body' of the plate 19. The face of the" bar is flash with the face' of the blocks and with 'the frame so that it forms a substantial backing for'the plate. VViththe bar removed from the edge of the plate, the hooks 15 can then be placed in" theslots of the blocks which will then lie under the ed ge of the plate and can be fastened in position by means of the backing slugs, aswill be readily understood] The; brace 8' insures "perfect-rigidity ofitlie frame so that perfect I alinem'ent will always exist between the blocks andthe slots in the face of the frame; lNhere-itis desired to s'e' cure' a plate 20 very close to another, the

plate 19, the hoo'ksmay be placed back to back with each other, as indic'ate d'at 21, so that there are no 'bacl'ringshigs between'the plates; I 7

Asindicjatedin Fig; 3,'the dovetails? do notipass completely through frame b ar, bntthese'j notehesare formed with supporting shoulders 22 for thee'nds of'the' brace; hen using the press bed, it shouldbe'understood that in'order to placeoneofthe hooks at any point in the bed,it isonly necessary topnll ont onej ofthe blocks in the vicinity of the point where" the lIOOlCfiSj to be placed, whereupo'irthe hook may be placed in} the groove of the block and the block replaced 1" Att eii l 1 i l l i l i l l l l tion is: also calledlo the fact that anvblock may lee-reversed, that is, it may be removed aline ac'e urat'elywith' andgturned"through;an'angle of 180 and replaced.

It is evident with a press bed construclml as described, printing plates can be seen red any point whatever, and their'edgges may project overthe bars of the frame so as to lie near the o'ifteredges of the press bed.

The distance between the notches on the sides of the frame is of coiirsc'the sai'ne as the width ofthe blocks, or annultiple of their width, so as tofe'nable the-brace to be transposed as suggested;

l-lavir'ig thus described my invei'ition, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A'press bed oomprisingaframe, a pl'nrality of blocks received in said frame and having alin'ing-grooves in the'faoes thereof whereby slots are formed exten'ding continuously' across the press bed, with grooves in said frame" alining with said slots, extending said slots a'cross'the faccsof said frame, and fastening devices forprintingplates secured in said slots;

2. Apre'ss bed comprising a frame, a plurality of b'locks r'ec'eivedin' said frame and having; grooves therein aiming to form slots extending-continuonsly across the press bed,-

said frame having grooves alining; with said slots and extending thesame across th'efaee thereof, a" cross brace passing through the body of'said blocks and connectingopposite sides of said frame, and hooks running in said slots. 7

23. A press bed comprising a frame, a pinra'htv of blocks reeelved 1n rows m said frame and filling; the opening therein, said blocks and said frame having alinin; grooves forming-continuous slots across the press bc a cross brace connecting the sides of said frame and transposablewith a row of said 1, and

blocks, and means for securing said brace in' said frame in different positions.

, i; A press bed comprising a frame, a? brace liarckten'ding across said frame, a plurality ofblocks disposedin rows in said frame on each side of said bar, said blocks being'intcrchangeable with said. bar, means for clamping said blocks insaid frame, and. means for seeming-said bar in different positions alining' with certain of said rows ofblocks.

5; A press bed comprising a frai'ne, a brace extending across said frame and connecting the sides thereof, backing blocks disposed in rows in said frame, the faces of said blocks bcing'flush with the face of said bar, means for securing said. bar in. different positions, aliningwith certain row'sof said blocks, and means for clamping said blocks in said frame, said rows of blocks being interchangeable with said'bar.

6. A press bed comprising aframe, a plu- 916,888 r I a rality of blocks mounted in said frame and l adapted to retain printing plates on said 10 having alining grooves therein forming slots blocks.

passing continuously across the press bed, In testimony whereof I have signed my said frame having grooves alining with said name to this specification in the presence of slots, said frame having under-cut grooves two subscribing Witnesses.

in the inner edges thereof,"cla1nping sticks FRANK C. LEETHEM. in said last grooves for clamping said blocks, Witnesses: and depressed below the bottoms of said F. D. AMMEN,

slots, and hooks running in said slots and JOHN P. DAVIS. 

